Foster School Names Jeffrey Shulman Chair of Marketing and International Business

The Foster School of Business has named Jeffrey Shulman as the incoming Chair of the Department of Marketing and International Business. A longtime faculty member, Shulman brings to the role a collaborative leadership style and a vision rooted in Foster’s purpose of bettering humanity through business together.

“I really want to put that emphasis on ‘together,’ in our purpose,” Shulman said. “That includes our research faculty, teaching faculty, staff, students, alumni, and other stakeholders within the Foster School. I want to ensure everything we do in the marketing department aligns with the purpose of the Foster School of Business.”

Jeffrey Shulman, the Marion B. Ingersoll Professor of Marketing, has been a member of the Foster faculty since 2006. He was also the founding director of The Product Management Center, a hub for inclusive thought leadership in product management. His research focuses on pricing strategies, product management, and the strategic implications of AI in marketing.

“Jeff epitomizes the Foster School’s purpose to better humanity through business,” says Dean Frank Hodge. “He pushes himself and others to look for creative ways to help others, making him an ideal candidate to lead the Marketing and International Business Department.” 

As department chair, Shulman sees his role as bringing the best out of an already extraordinary department. “I just play the role of a facilitator trying to make sure that the amazing talent we have within our department can shine and gets the resources they need to achieve Foster’s purpose,” he said.

Fostering the future of marketing

The Department of Marketing and International Business at Foster includes both academic thought leaders publishing in top journals and industry leaders who prepare students to succeed in an ever-evolving landscape. “Marketing is an essential function within organizations,” Shulman explained. “A common misperception is that marketing is just advertising. Marketing is so much more. It’s about identifying needs and wants in the market and satisfying those needs and wants better than the competition.”

He emphasized that while the core principles of marketing remain consistent, the tactics are evolving rapidly due to technological advancements. “AI is one such technological advancement that is going to impact every aspect of marketing. From how organizations learn about customer needs to how they execute on their marketing strategy through pricing, product development, distribution channels, and promotional decisions.,” he noted. “Technology changes the way we consumers and organizations collect, analyze, and take action on information. ”

Shulman believes Foster is uniquely positioned to adapt to these changes. “One thing I love about the Foster School of Business is that we’re surrounded by some of the most innovative companies in the world,” he said. “We are also steeped in a Seattle culture that breaks the mold and reaches for higher heights. We’re uniquely positioned to show students how to apply grounded theories to new contexts while also pushing the boundaries of marketing knowledge. Situated in Seattle, our faculty can further the virtuous cycle of theory informing practice and practice informing theory, all to the benefit of UW Foster students, alumni, and local organizations.”

Shulman’s latest research spotlights AI

In the classroom, Shulman teaches across undergraduate, MBA, and PhD levels, covering courses on product management and marketing strategy. He continues to conduct research and is currently working on a paper titled “My Fair AI,” which examines fairness constraints in algorithms and their strategic consequences.

Beyond his roles at Foster, Shulman is a senior editor at the Production and Operations Management Journal. He has also held associate editor positions at Marketing Science and Management Science. “In these editorial roles, I get to see research before everybody else does,” he said. “It helps me as a scholar in terms of seeing trends and refining my own research, and it helps me as an educator because I get to see cutting-edge knowledge even before other professors.”

An extraordinary faculty advancing marketing

Reflecting on what makes Foster a great place for marketing students, Shulman points to the department’s esteemed faculty and strong industry connections. “We have extraordinary faculty on the research side, people who are pushing marketing forward for the entire world,” he said. “We also have teaching faculty with profound industry experience. In addition, we have an amazing alumni base of people who are well placed in Seattle and across the country.”

Shulman says he is energized by the broader impact of an education in marketing at Foster. “Learning marketing at the Foster School of Business, you realize that marketing is not just an exciting career; it is a profound responsibility,” he said. “There’s a huge opportunity to foster progress and to better humanity. That’s what marketing is all about, and that’s what people learn when they come here.”

Learn more about Foster School of Business Marketing and International Business programs.